7 Taxpayer-Funded Grocery Stores in Chicago to Close - Todd Starnes
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The possible closure of seven Save A Lot grocery stores on Chicago’s South and West sides is reigniting debate over whether taxpayer-funded efforts to sustain grocery stores in underserved neighborhoods can succeed over the long term.
“Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Democrats who rule the Windy City should’ve paid closer attention to how government-run grocery stores worked out in the old Soviet Union,” said national radio host Todd Starnes. “Chicago better brace itself for bread lines.”
The stores, operated by Yellow Banana, were backed by more than $13.5 million in Chicago taxpayer funding as part of a redevelopment agreement intended to combat food deserts in neighborhoods. But despite the public investment, Save A Lot has terminated its licensing agreement with Yellow Banana, putting the stores at risk of closing.
“Socialism never works,” Starnes said. “The only people to blame for the food deserts are the voters who following the advice of race-grifting preachers and elect far-left Democrats to office.”
A Save A Lot spokesperson said the company had exhausted its options.
“Unfortunately, these stores have continued to face significant challenges, including dramatic cuts to SNAP benefits which have severely impacted these stores. As a result of this and other financial headwinds, Save A Lot made the difficult decision to end our arrangement with Yellow Banana.”
The company said the seven stores experienced a 26 percent decline in SNAP/EBT transactions compared to last year, adding to financial pressures that were compounded by the April death of Yellow Banana CEO Joe Canfield. City officials are now seeking new investors or operators to keep the stores open.
Critics argue the closures expose the shortcomings of relying on taxpayer subsidies to keep grocery stores afloat instead of sustainable private investment. They contend the city’s multimillion-dollar intervention failed to create a self-sustaining business model, leaving residents once again facing uncertainty after public funds were spent.
“I think it’s pretty sad, you know. They keep taking resources from us, and we don’t really have that much. And just to see the store gone, it leaves no hope for the community,” Morgan Park resident Dejuan Taylor said.
For many neighborhood residents, however, the concern is far more immediate.
“I hate it’s closing, because now we don’t have a grocery store to go to. So now we have to travel even farther, and this was very convenient for us and for the seniors around here, because we didn’t have to go that far,” Chicago resident Carolyn Milon told CBS News.
The closures come as Chicago officials continue to explore other publicly supported initiatives aimed at improving food access, even as questions mount over whether government-backed grocery ventures can remain financially viable over the long term.
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